GEO checklist: dos and don'ts
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is about whether answer engines mention, cite, and accurately describe your brand — not only whether you rank in classic blue links. Use this checklist when you start an Ad Cerebro scan or prioritize a sprint.
Do
- Probe real engines with buyer queries (category, comparison, “best of”)
- Fix Agent Readiness: schema, FAQ, sitemap, robots,
llms.txt - Measure presence, accuracy, sentiment, citation, and recency together
- Connect AI referrals to GA4 so mentions map to outcomes
- Re-scan after shipping fixes — one audit is a snapshot
Don't
- Treat GEO as keyword stuffing aimed at chatbots
- Chase vanity AI scores with no query set or competitor baseline
- Ship schema without the entities that make citations trustworthy
- Block useful AI crawlers by accident in robots.txt
- Assume one mention equals share of voice across engines
Where to start
Baseline your domain, fix the highest-severity Agent Readiness issues, then re-probe the queries that matter for revenue. See how that loop played out for Sri Sahya, or start your own scan.